[hey_look_its_dave]

Thanks guys.

So far I haven’t talked to a surgeon about ADR. Indeed, finding an ADR surgeon is not so easy around here. I should mention that I’m in Canada. Our system is probably most comparable to the UK. This country had its first ADR performed in London, Ontario in 2001 by Dr. Kevin Gurr. I live in Toronto (about a 2.5 hour drive East of London), so I sent in a referral to his office. It’s been a couple of weeks and no phone call yet (though I’m a patient guy). I know at least one person who saw him had to wait 2 years for an appointment (…but not that patient).

Typically in Canada, it takes 2 or 3 months to see a specialist. Ideally, I’d like to find someone in Toronto who does ADR. I see my surgeon (who did the discectomy) on March 30, so I’ll ask him if he knows anyone. He only does fusion. I’m not interested in fusion because of the higher rate of adjacent disc syndrome. One concern I have though, is that in the ADR business, it seems from what I’ve read, that you really want someone who has done many of them. I don’t know that we have anyone with much experience in Canada.

Another option would be Germany, but I’m concerned about what happens, for example, if six months hence, I start having major pain problems. They do say you can send them MRIs and xrays, but I dunno. Worrisome.

I had to go to Buffalo for my last MRI. If you’ve had surgery, then you need it done with and without contrast. Currently, the waiting time in Toronto for MRI with contrast is 4.5 months. I drove over the border to Buffalo MRI, which does same or next day service on machines that are twice the resolution of any machine we have here in Canada. Remember back in the 80’s how we used to laugh at those wacky Soviets and their 1950-style telephones? Ha ha they’re so backward and we’re so awesome? Well, that’s where MRIs are in Canada. I couldn’t believe the difference. Sad.

The reason I was under the impression that nerve compression excluded me from ADR surgery was that in several places, I saw it mention that the criteria for being a candidate for ADR included back or leg pain without nerve compression. For example, this is what it currently says on the AlphaKlinik site:

“When is an artificial disc replacement reasonable?

An artificial disc replacement ie [sic] recommended if a painful severe degenerated disc without hernia is thoroughly determined.”

I’m not sure how to interpret this. I saw another site which said almost the same thing, although I can’t find it again.

Dave